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Nature Walks

Malta and Gozo

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Useful Informa.on

•

Introduc+on

Buses and Ferries

Climate and Weather

Prac+cal Advice

Geology

Flora

Birds

Mammals and other wildlife

Nature on Malta

•

The Walks

1. Qrendi, the Blue GroDo and Għar Lapsi

2. BuskeD and Dingli Cliﬀs

Mdina and Chadwick Lakes

Baħrija

and Miġra l-‐Ferħa

Mġarr and Ġnejna Bay

Golden Bay and

Majjistral Na+onal Park

Mistra Bay and

Peninsula of Mġiebaħ

Marsaskala to Marsaxlokk

The Island of Comino

10. Mġarr and South Gozo

11. Nadur and its bays

12.

13.

Dwejra and West Gozo

Qala and East Gozo

Further Informa.on:

Visit our website www.greatwalksmalta.com

The Authors

The authors, Jonathan Henwood (Maltese) and Emmet Mc Mahon (Irish) are both

environmental scien+sts with a shared love of walking, Malta and the environment.

Together they have wriDen the following books:

• The Malta Coastal Walk

• The Gozo Coastal Walk

• Malta: 10 Great Walks

• Gozo: 10 Great Walks

For further informa+on see their site at www.greatwalksmalta.com

purposes without the prior wriDen consent of the authors.

Disclaimer:

This book is intended for entertainment purposes only. The authors and

landowners disclaim responsibility for harm, injury, damage or any other eﬀects suﬀered

as a result of informa+on or routes in this book.

Introduc;on

In a world where over 50% of us now live in ci+es, it has become increasingly enjoyable to

ramble peacefully within a natural landscape. The pleasure of walking through

undeveloped rural and coastal areas admiring plants, animals, birds and other wildlife can

be intense, almost spiritual. The country of Malta (i.e. the islands of Malta and Gozo) is

heavily populated but almost all development has taken place on the north and east of

the island of Malta. In happy contrast, there are many loca+ons on the south and west of

the island, and on Gozo, where the natural environment remains much as it was in former

centuries. This book describes walks through valleys, gorges, nature reserves and coastal

areas where a variety of landscapes, habitats and wildlife can be admired, in tranquillity.

On some of the walks you will also encounter impressive sites of archaeological and

cultural importance and these can add greatly to the pleasure of your rambles. Malta and

Gozo are quite compact so that on any one walk you can encounter a variety of interes+ng

features.

This book provides details of 13 nature walks on Malta and Gozo, together with a

descrip+on of the noteworthy features that lie along each route. Importantly, the star+ng

and end points of each walk can be accessed by public transport. The dura+on of each

walk is typically about four hours at an easy pace and most can be shortened or extended

to suit par+cular interests and circumstances. The loca+ons of the walks are shown on the

map on the inside cover, with more detailed maps given in later sec+ons. The walk in

Comino can be done from Malta or Gozo by taking an early morning ferry and returning in

the evening. The walks on Gozo can be done from Malta by taking an early morning ferry.

But, if you can, spend a night or two on Gozo to beDer appreciate its natural beauty and

peaceful lifestyle.

As fully accurate maps of walking routes in Malta are not available and as paths are

not always clearly signposted, you may some+mes have to use your own judgement about

minor details or suitable short cuts. You can always ask the locals for help: they are

friendly and English is very widely spoken as a second language.

Malta and Gozo host a range of rich archaeological sites and features, including stone-‐

age megalithic temples, cart ruts, Punic tombs, cave dwellings, Roman villas, Palaces of

the Knights and Bri+sh military for+ﬁca+ons. Examples of such man-‐made features can be

observed at most of the walks in this book. A visit to the archaeological museums in

ValleDa and the Citadel in Gozo will give you a wonderful overview of the main

archaeological sites. It is also worthwhile to visit www.vistmalta.com/en/archaeological-‐

sites.

Many thanks to:

Krista Farrugia, Stephen Saliba, Edwin Lanfranco, Michael J Sant,

Rachel Deceli

s and WikiPedia.

Map Symbols

The following symbols are given as a general guide to the features and facilities

located on or near the route of the walk.

Building

Temple/Megalith

Cartruts

Fort/Tower

Historic Feature

Panoramic View

Cave/Doline

Buses and Ferries

Both islands possess an eﬀec+ve and cheap public bus service which serves all major

popula+on centres and many points of touris+c interest. Full informa+on on routes and

+metables can be found on its website at www.publictransport.com.mt. The site has a

very useful facility which, amer you input your star+ng point (e.g. Sliema) and your

des+na+on (e.g Rabat), will display a map showing the bus route and number and other

informa+on.

The central bus terminus on Malta is in ValleDa and buses from here travel to all parts

of the island. There is also a terminus at Sliema and at Buġibba that can connect you to

key loca+ons on the north and west of the island and to the ferry port of Ċirkewwa. It is

Beach

Public Toilets

Mapbase courtesy of OpenStreetMaps

wiser to wear long trousers and good walking shoes when rain is around. Some por+ons

of the route are on exposed soil that may become s+cky and slippery. In bad weather it is

preferable to walk along paved paths and, best of all, to visit urban areas such as the

Citadel of Rabat with its wonderful castle and many museums.

The best months for walking are in spring (March to June) and autumn (mid-‐

September to December). You may be unlucky and get some bad weather at these +mes

(too rainy or too hot) but in general you can expect many pleasant days for happy

rambling.

Nature in Malta

To help you gain a beDer apprecia+on of the natural environment we provide below some context

with short descrip+ons of the habitats, landscape and wildlife of Malta.

A habitat is the natural

Prac.cal Advice

•

Please help to conserve the clean and valuable natural environment of Malta.

Carry your liDer back with you and do not pick any wild plants, as many species

are endangered.

•

Follow the set route and paths, avoiding short cuts through cul+vated ﬁelds or

private property.

•

If you ﬁnd yourself a liDle lost and having to cross a cul+vated ﬁeld, do so along

the perimeter to avoid damaging the crop. If you have used a gate, ensure you

close it securely.

•

Remember to bring water, a hat and sunscreen, especially in the hot months.

•

Make sure you wear comfortable clothes and good walking shoes. In summer a

pair of shorts is adequate while in winter and spring, long trousers and a light

jacket are advised.

•

Avoid walking along cliﬀ edges, especially in windy weather.

•

Bring a mobile phone for safety purposes. In an emergency, ring 112.

•

Avoid walking on your own and preferably inform someone of your route.

•

Plan your walk so that you are back before nighrall, as in some areas the path

can be dangerous in low light.

•

Have a look at the weather forecast before you plan your walk. Consult

www.maltaweather.com for a detailed ﬁve-‐day forecast.

environment in which an organism lives, the physical environment that surrounds a

species' popula+on. It is inﬂuenced by physical factors such as soil, moisture and

temperature range, as well as the availability of food, sunshine and the presence of

predators. The natural habitat of a species sa+sﬁes an animal’s or plant’s requirement

survive in terms of food, growth, reproduc+on, shelter and living space. The Maltese

Islands host a variety of terrestrial and marine habitats, some of which are found in other

Mediterranean lands, while others are quite rare. The habitats you will encounter on the

walks in this book include:

•

Cliﬀs (e.g. Dingli, Walk 2)

Boulder scree (e.g. Peninsula of Mġiebaħ, Walk 7)

Garrigue (e.g. Comino, Walk 9)

Maquis (e.g. Girgen., Walk 2)

Woodland (e.g. BuskeY Walk 2)

Valley and Watercourses (e.g. Mġarr ix-‐Xini, Walk 10)

Sand Dunes (e.g. Ramla Bay, Walk 11)

Geology

Malta is essen+ally a limestone rock with a light covering of soil (except in some fer+le

valleys). The limestone rock displays major deforma+ons (such as the Great Fault and the

Marfa Ridge) as a result of tectonic movement of the earth’s crust. Tectonics also played a

role in the +l+ng of Malta towards the north-‐east which has resulted in high cliﬀs along

the south coast (such as at Dingli) and a low-‐lying coastline along the north (such as at

Sliema).

The rocks of both islands are of sedimentary limestone which started to form on the

seabed some 200 million years ago through the compac+on of shells, coral, sediment and

other material. Five dis+nct layers can be dis+nguished in the limestone rock, with each

layer represen+ng a diﬀerent phase of development of the Mediterranean Sea and its

inhabitants. The layers can be clearly seen at a number of cliﬀs (for example, near

Ċirkewwa). From top to boDom (and from young to old) the ﬁve layers are as follows:

Upper Coralline Limestone (a strong coral material used for concrete), Greensands (no

par+cular use), Blue Clay, (which has a signiﬁcance for crea+on of springs), Globigerina

Limestone (a yellow stone easy to carve, yet strong enough for construc+on) and Lower

Coralline Limestone (the strongest rock of all, used in construc+on). Fossils such as shark

teeth and sea urchins are to be seen at several loca+ons but most obviously near the

spectacular Azure Window on Gozo. Being a natural substance the limestone can vary

substan+ally over quite short distances. In some loca+ons it is very som and as white as

the cliﬀs of Dover. In others it is yellow and tough enough to be used in the building of

castles and baDlements. It was the availability of readily quarried yellow Globigerina

limestone that has given Malta such an abundant stock of quality and aDrac+ve stone

buildings.

Malta emerged from the sea ﬂoor around 10 million years ago and has since been

moulded by tectonic ac+vity, rain, sea, wind and humans to create a rare geomorphology

and a variety of landscape features. As rain is slightly acidic (from the adsorp+on of carbon

dioxide from the air), it can slowly dissolve limestone. Over many thousands of years such

a combina+on of plate tectonics and erosion has resulted in features such as valleys and

gorges, coastal boulder scree, fractured rocks and underground caves. A number of former

river valleys, ﬂooded by a rise in sea level, have formed spectacular bays, such as the

Grand Harbour.

Much of the coast of Malta and Gozo is dominated by impressive sea cliﬀs with

numerous large sea caves. Other features which provide valuable habitats for wildlife

include dolines (collapsed caves), clay slopes, boulder screes and exposed surface

limestone with shallow soil cover -‐ known as garrigue. Garrigue, where fractured surface

limestone hosts a variety of plants in shallow soil, is an important but under-‐appreciated

habitat that you will encounter on several of the walks. Rain falling on the top layer of

fractured limestone can percolate down un+l it meets an impervious clay layer. The water

must then travel sideways to emerge as a spring, omen along a cliﬀ edge. This seepage

washes out clay and undermines the upper limestone layer. The resul+ng collapse of the

upper layer results in a coastal boulder scree which provides moisture and protec+on for a

variety of plants and animals

The landscape of Gozo is peppered with ﬂat-‐topped hills such as Gelmus Hill near Ta’

Pinu and these karst hills are a reminder of an ancient plateau. The top layer of these hills

is composed of a cap of resilient limestone which protects the underlying somer layer from

erosion by rain. Such erosion, assisted at +mes by wind and waves, has resulted in

numerous fantas+cally-‐shaped but very aDrac+ve natural features throughout Gozo but

par+cularly near Xwejni Bay on the northern coast. The Dwejra Bay area on Gozo, a

candidate World Heritage site, is special in having a variety of large-‐scale features of

geological interest within a small area. Many of the features resulted from the collapse of

large underground caves which had formed over many millennia as rainwater gradually

eroded the limestone. The eventual collapse of the roofs of these caves gave rise to large

circular depressions, of which there are ﬁve in Dwejra. It is es+mated that the Inland Sea

resulted from the collapse of a cavern about 350 m in width. The Inland Sea is a saltwater

lake connected to the sea by a natural tunnel which is large enough to allow the passage

of small boats. The nearby Azure Window is one of a series of visually stunning natural

arch of limestone rock, reaching out over the sea found in Malta, Gozo and Comino.

Flora

The warm Mediterranean climate of Malta, its physical isola+on from other land masses

and its limestone base, have led to the forma+on of a range of eco-‐systems, some with

rare endemic species of plants. Some plant species of plants have become ex+nct and a

number of others, especially those on minor islets, are in danger of ex+nc+on. The ﬂora of

the islands is a rich mix of Mediterranean and North African elements and includes both

endemic and introduced species. At +mes of low sea level (during the last ice-‐age) Malta

had a land connec+on to Sicily which allowed the free movement of plants and animals

and provided a refuge for certain European plants which prefer warmer climates, such as

the Carob and Judas tree. The introduc+on of both plant and animal species by humans

(whether inten+onal or not) has also contributed to the biodiversity of Malta. Cape

Sorrel, easily recognised through its yellow ﬂowers, was introduced to Malta in 1811 as a

garden ﬂower while the Prickly Pear cactus arrived from California around the end of the

century. The overall result is that Malta hosts over 1,100 wild plant species, about 40

of which are not found anywhere else and many of which are endangered.

Garrigue is a type of low scrubland and plant community found on limestone soils

around the Mediterranean, generally near the seacoast where the climate is mild but with

summer drought condi+ons. Garrigue vegeta+on is low and usually comprises aroma+c

shrubs such as Thyme, Mediterranean Heath and Spurges together with a wide range of

other plants which survive the dry summer as bulbs or roots, such as Asphodel, Squills

and perfumed Narcissi. In summer garrigue appears mainly as a dry and brown habitat,

however with the end of summer and the ﬁrst rain, garrigue springs back to life, with the

ﬂowering of the Sea Quill. Some species of ﬂowers, such as the Autumn Narcissus and the

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